Valve spring spacer

ABSTRACT

A valve spring spacer for internal combustion engines formed from a strand of metal into a circular shape with a sinuous contour. There are inner runs to locate the spacer around a valve sleeve and other runs to define the outer boundary connected by radial legs which support a valve spring end away from the engine surface, thereby increasing the spring tension and permitting air flow to reduce temperature conduction, the device being fashioned to permit assembly around a valve stem without removing the stem.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Elwood L.I-Iavens 1060 Southfield, Lincoln Park, Mich. 48146 [21] AppLNo. 839,201 [22] Filed July 7,1969 [45] Patented Feb.l6,197l

[54] VALVE SPRING SPACER 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl. l23/90.67, 251/337, 267/60, 267/175 [51] Int.Cl. F0ll3/10, F16f H12 [50] Fieldol'Search 123/90.65, 90.66, 90.67,188(SPs), 90.28, 90.29, 90.3; 251/337, (lnquired); 267/60, 61 175, (Inquired) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,248,672 12/1917 Kingston .,...l.23/l 8 8(SP- 4)X J0 Iliiliif 1 1 2,527,524 10/1950 Brent 267/60 2,819,706 1/1958 Gamm'0n.... l23/90.3

2,868,188 l/1959 Havens 123/90.67

2,935,979 5/1960 Havens 123/90.67

3,033,518 5/1962 Sampietro 251/337 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,199,061 8/1965 Germany 267/6 1 (S) Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith Attorney- Barnes, Kisselle, Raisch &. Choate v sembly around a valve stem without removing the stem.

This invention relates to a valve spring spacer and more particularly to a new form of a valve spring spacer which can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.

Valve spring spacers of the g'eneralriature of the present invention are shown in Havens U.S.' Pat. No. 2,868,188, issued Jan. 13, 1959, and 2,935,979, issued May l0, l960.

The present invention contemplates an improvement over these devices with respect to the cost of manufacture and ease of assembly. The above-referenced US. Pat. No. 2,935,979 shows a two-piece unit; but one-of the problems in connection with the assembly of this unit is the possibility of an overlap which doubles the intended spacing.

The present invention contemplates a continuous member of one piece which can be opened circumferentially for ease of assembly and which has radially extending portions which serve to support the valve spring while permitting the passage of air and reducing the heat conductivity to prolong the life of the valve spring.

Briefly, the invention consists of a wire which is formed sinuously in U-shaped configurations around a center point with the ends of the wire being closely spaced to permit opening of the unit for assembly but having sufficient resilience that the device will recover its shape as a circular support after assembly.

Other objects and features of the invention will be apparent in the following description and claims in which the principles of operation are set forth together with the use and the preferred mode presently contemplated for the invention.

Drawings accompany the disclosure and the various views thereof may be briefly described as: 1 Y

FIG. 1, a sectional view of a valve spring assembly showing the unit assembled.

F IG. 2, a first modification of the invention shown in plan.

FIG. 3, a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4, a modification of the unit. I

FIG. 5, a sectional view on line 5-5 of-FlG. 4.

In the drawings, an engine block has a valve stem 12 with a valve head 14 operating in a valve seat 16. The valve stem has a spring cap or seat 18 and'a spring 20 to urge the valve to closed position. The valve operates ina sleeve 22 in a standard construction unit. lnterposed between the lower end of the spring 20 and the top surface of the engine block is a spacer shim as shown in FIG. 1. I

A plan view of this spacer shim is shown in FIG. 2 wherein it will be seen that it is formed of a metal wire element bent in a sinuous form to provide a series of outwardly opening and inwardly opening U-shaped configurations which provide outer spaced rim portions 32 on an outer circumference and inner relation as shown at the left-hand portion of FIG. 2, these ends being curved outwardly from leg portions terminating in bight portions 42 on the inner circumference,

It will be seen, therefore, that upon a lifting of the bottom end of the spring 20, it will be possible to spread the two end portions 38-40 so that they will move around the valve sleeve 22 and then move together because of the inherent resilience of the metal material from which the unit is made. The portions 34 will position around the outer circumference of the sleeve 22 to locate the unit radially and the bottom portion of spring 20 will be supported on the legs 36 to space the spring away from the engine block, thus increasing its compressive forces.

It will be noted that the openings between the legs 36 and between the portions 32 and 34 will permit the passage of air and also reduce the conductivity of heat from the engine block to the spring.

In FIG. 4, a modified structure is shown in a unit 50 having a somewhat similar configuration but a round cross section. Here again, outer circumferential portions 52 form the outer periphery and inner circumferential portions 54 define the inner dimension connected b legs 56. The ends of this unit are shown at 58 forming a po ion of the outer circumferential run at this area and being positioned in substantially abutting relation at 60. These ends may be separated to permit assembly as previously described.

It will thus be seen that with a minimum amount of material, a device can be formed which will reduce temperature conduction from the engine and insulateheat from the spring while serving adequately to support the spring axially and being so designed as to be assembled with a minimum of labor. The device is preferably formed of a spring steel such as 1085 carbon steel.

1 claim:

1. A valve spring spacer for internal combustion engines which comprises a one-piece strand of metal formed sinuously with inner bight portions at an inner diameter and outer bight portions at an outer diameter with radial legs connecting said bight portions to serve as a spring support, the ends of said spaced rim portions 34 on an inner circumference connected by mutual legs 36. The two ends 38 of the unit lie in spaced strand meeting in closely spaced relation but being separable to allow installation of the spacer around a valve stem.

2. A valve spring spacer for internal combustion engines as defined in claim 1 in which the ends of the strand form one of said outer bights.

3. A valve spring spacer for internal combustion engines as defined in claim 1 in which the ends of the strand each return radially outwardly from an inner bight to lie substantially parallel to each other. i

4. A valve spring spacer for an internal combustion engines as defined in claim 3 in which the outer tips of said ends are curved respectively toward adjacent outer bights and away from each other to facilitate assembly around a valve stem. 

1. A valve spring spacer for internal combustion engines which comprises a one-piece strand of metal formed sinuously with inner bight portions at an inner diameter and outer bight portions at an outer diameter with radial legs connecting said bight portions to serve as a spring support, the ends of said strand meeting in closely spaced relation but being separable to allow installation of the spacer around a valve stem.
 2. A valve spring spacer for internal combustion engines as defined in claim 1 in which the ends of the strand form one of said outer bights.
 3. A valve spring spacer for internal combustion engines as defined in claim 1 in which the ends of the strand each return radially outwardly from an inner bight to lie substantially parallel to each other.
 4. A valve spring spacer for an internal combustion engines as defined in claim 3 in which the outer tips of said ends are curved respectively toward adjacent outer bights and away from each other to facilitate assembly around a valve stem. 